Kapha

Earth – Water 

Earth + water = mud – which holds everything together but if it’s too much it can become a brick 

Earth is strong it’s the protection it’s that what stabilizes things – grounded

Qualities = Heavy, Cold, Moist, Soft, Stable

Active in age = Birth – 19

Kapha season = Late winter – Spring 

Kapha time on a day = 6 am – 10 am (Slowing from early activity, active exercise time)

            6 pm – 10 pm (Slowdown, relaxing activities, bedtime)

Kapha Characteristics:

– Round / Stocky build – Slow / calm

– Large bones – Compassionate

– Big lips – Nice / peaceful

–  Thick / luxurious hair – Content / funny / best friend and company

• Thick & soft skin – Stable / consistent
• Nurturing        – Forgiving

When out of balance:

– Attached – Apathetic

– Controlling – Insensitive

– Sentimental – superficial

• Materialistic – Needing security
• Greedy – Overweight

Problems when out of balance: swelling, overweight, heaviness body and mind, excessive sleeping 

Balanced by: Light, Warm, Mobile, dry qualities

Balancing tastes: Pungent, Bitter, Astringent

**Eat light and only when hungry. Start with hot water and ginger. Don’t eat after 6pm.

FOOD FOR KAPHA:

Pungent = chili peppers, garlic, ginger, pepper, cinnamon

Bitter = all leafy greens, grapefruit, herbs and spices, coffee

Astringent = legumes, raw fruits & vegetables, herbs & spices, vinegar, apple cider, broccoli

Foods for optimum nourishment:

Ginger, lemon, apples, broccoli, quinoa, chili, peppers, coffee, black tea, onions, berries, leave greens

Examples:

Fruits: Apples, apricots, berries, cherries, figs dry, lemons, limes, pears, pomegranates, prunes

Grains: Amaranth, buckwheat, cooked oats, quinoa, rice, wheat

Natural sugars: Honey, fruit juice concentrates

Milk: Buttermilk, Cow milk, Cheese, Ghee, Goat cheese & milk, unsweetened almond milk, yoghurt(diluted & spiced), tofu, soy milk

Vegetables: Artichoke, asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, cauliflower, bitter melon, carrot, celery, fennel, eggplant, garlic, green beens, kale, mushrooms, sweet potato, onions, peppers, spinach, leafy greens beens, zucchini, lettuce

Animal products: chicken (white), egg, fish(freshwater), shrimp, turkey(white)

Nuts: Cashews, almonds *small amounts

Seeds: Chia, flax, pumkin, sunflower

Oils: Almond, ghee, olive oil.  *small amounts

Beverage: White or red wine, aloe vera juice, apple cider, apple juice, herbal tea, soy milk, prune juice, chai spiced milk, cranberry juice, coffee, black tea, carrot juice

Spices: black pepper, garlic, cayenne, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, mint, ginger, rosemary, saffron, turmeric, thyme, salt, mustard seeds

Oils external use for body massage/lotion: sesam oil

Funny example celebrities: Oprah Winfrey

TIP: don’t eat after 6pm. Try to eat light in with every meal and only when hungry because the digestion of kapha is slow. So otherwise food will not get digested.

Practice: Increase energy, movement, metabolism, lightness

Meditation:

• Pranayama – light
• Light / sun – fire – energy  
• Mantra – chanting
• Letting go